- #1
ziggybenji
- 12
- 0
Hey guys, I was hoping to pick the brains of some of you more experienced students and professionals. I have roughly 2 and 1/2 years left before I receive my B.S. in physics and the farther along I get in my studies the more I realize that there is a lot that I still don't know, go figure. For this reason I am still kind of undecided as to what I want to pursue later on in terms of concentration/specialization within physics, again largely due to my own ignorance, however, I have noticed some common themes and I was wondering what you guys thought of them or what experiences you may have had with both working or applying for jobs in those fields. For example, there seems to be a general consensus that condensed matter physics is the largest field and has the most opportunities, but what exactly is condensed matter physics and what are "those" opportunities that exist? Theoretical physics seems to be labeled as the "sexy" field that gets people initially interested in wanting to study physics to later find that the job prospects are small or non existent. Medical physics is warranted as a very rewarding career however the competition for residency requirements with ph.d students is so great that a M.S. is no guarantee and competing with only a B.S. is almost non existent. I have heard the argument that a physics graduate doesn't always have to dive into a career that is physics based, i.e. they have the analytical skills necessary to be successful in investment banking, actuary science, or work as a manager for a technical based company or entity. The only reason I don't like that argument is that it isn't relevant to employability of physics graduates who want to work in a physics field. So, what are your guys thoughts on this?